Fornia



G. N. BLANCHARD.

AUTOMATIC FUEL CONTROL.

APPLICATION FILED NOV: 21, 1921.

Reissued May 16, 1922.

I27 V61? 21 or.

UNITED STATES PATENT orrlce.

GEORGE N, BLANGHARD, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIG-NOR TO COLMAR BURNER. CO., INC, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALI- FORNIA.

AUTOMATIC FUEL CONTROL.

Specification of Reissued Letters Patent. Reigsued May 16,, 1922-,

Original No. 1,387,583, dated August 16, 1921, Serial No. 355,361, filed January 31, 1920. Application for reissue filed November 21, 1921.

T '0 all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, GEORGE N. BLANCH- ARD, a citizen of the United States. residing in the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Fuel Controls, of which the following is a specification.

In hydrocarbon burners as at present manufactured the same will flood should the burner flame become accidentally extinguished and no attendant is at hand to shut the flow of fuel off. This danger is serious as should a quantity of fuel collect and the operator be unaware of this escape when igniting the burner, serious results may take place.

The present invention relates to an automatic and automatically operated means for controlling the supply of fuel to a hydrocarbon burner and which is acted on directly by the burner flame whereby fuel is admitted to the burner during such time as the burner is maintained at a predetermined temperature by the burner flame.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a means preferably associated with the burner generator and controlled by the temperature thereof for permitting a flow of fuel into and through the generator during such time as the generator isat a sufiicicnt temperature to generate the fuel passing therethrough into a gas. A further object is to provide a means whereby the operation of fuel controlling means is capable of being varied in accordance with different temperatures of the generator. -A further object is to provide a construction wherein mechanical means are provided for positively shutting off the flow of fuel to the generator at such time as the temperature of the generator falls below a predetermined point.

"-1 Vith the abovementioned and other objects in view, th' invention consists in the novel construetio ma-nd combination of parts hereinafter described, illustrated the acmrnny na dr i g and t er h h claimshereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportibn, size and minor details of vco nstruction within the scope of the claims may be resorted to without departing from thespir'it Serial No. 516,859.

drawings, wherein Fig. l is a longitudinal sectional view of one form of burner with'the preferred embod ment of my'invention applied thereto.

F 1g. 2 1s a vertical detailed sectional View .of the controlling valve forming a part of m invention. I

eferring more particularly to the draw" ings, wherein like characters of reference deslgnate corresponding parts, 1 indicatesa suitable burner member having a base 2, and formed with an interior mixing chamber 3. The mixing chamber is provided at suitable points with suitable burner openings 41 and the openings 5, for a flameto issue from the burner at a point beneath the generator here nafter described. Liquid hydrocarbon fuel, preferably under pressure, is supplied to the burner through the pipe 6, p'referabl controlled by a manually operated valve above which is mounted an automatic valve 8, provided with a fuel inlet opening 9 and outlet opening 10, the outlet opening discharging into a coup-ling 11 carried on the outer end of a generator 12. The fuel generator 12 is preferably of the conventional tubular construction and is disposed longitudinally of the generator burner openings 5 and above that portion of the burner member 1 adjacent the burner openings, the generator being supported by suitable brackets 13 provided with openings through which the generator projects. At its discharge end, the generator discharges into the mixing chamber 3, thus, it will be apparent that the liquid fuel entering into the generator under pressure is converted by the temperature of the generator which is maintained by the flame through openin s 5, into a gas, the

-major portion of whic escapes through the ing 23, and closing the interior of the charm 20,"to which is in turn threaded a closure cap 21, provided with an outwardl extend=- ing nipple 22, said cap being provided with an opening 23 connecting the nipple with the inner wall surface thereof. A suitable diaphragm'2 1 is held between the end of the coupling 20 and the. Wall of the closure cap 21 providing a chamber 25 at the outer face of said diaphragm communicating with the interior of the nipple 22 through the openber 15, sothat the leakage of the li uidfuel admitted thereinto is prevented. ounted within the chamber 15 is a headed piston 26, the stem 27, of which is slotted for re-' ceiving the end of the arm 16, and said stem at the rear end of the slot is provided with athreaded opening 28, within which is threaded a needle-valve 29, the opening 30 of whichisndapted for co-operation with the valve seat 18 associated with the-lateral arm 16. The outer end of the valve 29 is preferably slotted as at 31 to admit of adjusting the same Within the threaded opening 28, at such time as the plug 19 is re moved from the body 14. The headed end of the piston 26 is normally maintained in contact with the rear face of the diaphragm 24 bythe coiled compression spring 32 to maintain the pointed end 30 of the needle valve 29 in contact with its seat 18. Thread- .ed into the nipple 22 is a suitable tube 33 of relativelysmall diameter and the same s adaptedto extend'parallel with and in close proximity to the generator 12 and i preferably above the generator burner opentainedat approximately the same temperaj ture as the discharge end of said generator J ings' 5. The outer end of the tube 33 is closed; and is preferably coiled as at 34 about the discharge end of the generator 12, so

that the outer end of the tube will be main- 12. The tube 33, chamber 25, opening23 and interior of the nipple 22 are preferably filled with mercury, thus providinga thermostatic member associated with the auto matic valve S'Whereby on the heating of the thevalve 29 from its seat and permit pamage of fuel under pressure from the pipe 6 through the automatic valve 8 and into the One end of new generator 12. Should for any reason the temperature of the generator 12 fall below a predetermined degree, the contraction of the mercury within the tube 33 will release the pressure in the tube and chamber 25 and permit the spring 32 to seat the valve 29, cuttingofl" the fiow of fuel to the generator until the same is again heated to a suiiicient temperature to gasify the liquid fuel admitted thereinto. It will be apparent that the adjustment of the needle valve 29 within the threaded opening 28 controls the sensitive ness of o erationof the automatic valve.

While have illustrated the present in-- vention with a particular form of fuel burner andgenerator, it is to be understood,

that such disclosure with the respective burner and generator is merely illustrative and that I am not confined to any particular type of burner or generator, and in my present illustration 1 have only described such portions of the burner and generator as are absolutely emential in carrying out the invention. l

The threading inwardly of the valve 2%) draws the piston 26 rearwardly in the chamber' 15 requiring greater expansion of the mercury and consequently greater temperature to unseat the needle valve than if the proximity to said generating tube andsur-x 05 rounding the same at the gas outlet end thereof for controlling the operation of said valve on said tube attaining a predetermined temperature, and means for adjusting said valve to operate at different predetermined temperatures of said tubev V v In combination with. a generator adapts ed for operative connection atone end with a liquid fuel supply and having at its other end a gas outlet, of a valve for controlling the supply of fuel thereto, a thermostat extending parallel with and in close proximityto said generator andsurrounding the same at the gas outlet thereof for controlling the" operation of said valve onsaid generator at-' means for adjusting saidl valve to cause the same to-operate in accordance with different predetermined temperatures of said genere ato'r.'- H i .v p 3*. In combination with a generator tube. 1

adapted for operative connection at one end with aliquid fuel supply and at its other} witha gas outlet, of means for controlling supply of fuel thereto in accordance with tai'ning a predetermined temperature; and" the temperature thereof, the same comprising a thermostat tube extending parallel with said generator tube, a valve within said fuelfeed pipe and including a casing provided with a fuel passage therethrough, a dia-.

a needle valve adjustably carried thereby and adapted for operation by the move ment of said piston to ,control the passage of fuel through said passage, a spring for maintaining said piston in contact with said diaphragm, and a closure plug in said casing adapted for removal to permit adjustment of said needle valve.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination of a burner, a generator tube overlying the same andsubjected to the heat of said burner and adapted to form a passage for a fluid fuel discharging into said burner, a valve for controlling the supply of fuel to the generator tube, a spring for normally maintaining said valve closed, and a thermostat subjected to a temperature corresponding to that of the generator tube and opposing the pressure of said spring for operating said valve to open on the generator tube attaining a generating temperature. 5.. In a device of the character described, the combination of a burner, a generator tube overlying the same and subjected to the heat of said burner and adapted to form a passage for a fluid fuel discharging into said burner, a fuel feed pipe connectedwith said generator tube, a spring closed valve without. the field of the burner for controlling the flow of fuel into the generator tube, and a thermostat acted on by a temperature corresponding to that of said generator tube and connected with said valve to oppose the pressure of the valve closing spring, where by said valve ismaintained open on said generator tube attaining a predetermined temperature.

6. In a device of the character described, the combination of a burner, a generator tube overlying the same and subjected to the heat of said burner and adapted to form a passage for a fluid fuel discharging into said burner, a fuel feed pipe connected with said generator tube, a valve casing through which fuel supplied to said generator tube passes, a valve within said casing for controlling the passage of fuel therethrough, a spring within the casing for normally closing the valve, and athermostat extended from the casing into proximity to said generator and into a temperature corresponding to that of said generator tube for moving said valve against the action of said spring whereby fuel is supplied'to the generator tube'on the same attaining a generating temperature.

7. In a device of the character described, the combination of a burner, a generator tube overlying the same and subjected to the heat of said burner and adapted to form a passage'for a fluid fuel discharging into said burner,.a fuel feed pipe connected with saidgenerator tube, a valve casing through which fuel supplied to said generator tube passes, a valve within said casing for controlling the passage of fuel therethrough, a

spring within the casing for normally closingthe valve, a thermostat extended from the casing in proximity to said generator and into a temperature corresponding substantially to that of said generator tube, whereby said valve is moved against the action of said spring to supply fuel to the generator tube on the same attaining a generating temperature, and means for varying the spring pressure seating said valve.

8. In combination with a generator having a liquid fuel inlet and a gas outlet, of a valve for controlling the supply of liquid fuel to the generator, a thermostat in thermal contact with the generator for opening said. valve on said generator attaining a pre determined temperature, and a spring for closingsaid valve.

9. In combination with a generator adapted for operative connection with a liquid fuel su ply, and having a gas outlet, of a valve thereto, a thermostat contacting with said generator for controlling the operation of said valve on said generator attaining a predetermined temperature, and means for ad justing said valve to operate at different temperatures of said generator.

10. In a device of the character described, the combination of a burner, a generator subjected to the heat of said burner and adapted to form a passage fora fluid fuel discharging into said burner, a valve without the field of said burner for controlling the supply of fuel to the generator, a spring for normally maintaining said valve closed and a thermostat contacting with and subjected to a temperature corresponding to that of the generator and opposing the pressure of said spring for operating said valve to open on the generator attaining a predetermined generating temperature.

11. In a device of the character described, the combination of a burner, a generator tube overlying the burner, a fuel inlet at one end of the generator tube, a gas discharge at the opposite end of the generator :tube, a valve for controlling the supply of fuel to the inlet, and a thermostat for operating the valve, said thermostat having a portion bent to engage the generator tube whereby the thermostat will be subjected to the same temperature as the generator tube.

or controlling the supply of fuel 12. In a device of the character described, the combination of a burner, a (generator tube overlying the burner, a fuel inlet atone end of the generator tube, a gas discharge at the, opposite end of the generator-tube, a valve for controlling the supply of fuel to the inlet, and a thermostat for operating the valve, said thermostat extending parallelwith but spaced from theexterior of the generator tube and having a portion bent to engage the generator tube Whereby'the thermostat will be subjected to the same a temperature as the generator tube.

13. In combination with a generator tube adapted for operative connection at one end with a liquid fuel supply and having at its otherend a gas outlet, of a valve for controlling the supply of fuel thereto and a thermostat extending parallelwith and in close proximity to said generator tube and surrounding the same at the gas outlet end thereof "for controlling the operation of said valve on said tube attaining a predetermined temperature.

\ GEORGE N. BLANCHAR-D; 

